Korean Cabbages are one of most important vegetables in Korea in viewpoints of their history, acreage under cultivation, and usage. Korean Cabbages are a sort of green vegetables with phychrophilic properties. At a low temperature, flower buds of Korean Cabbages are differentiated and undergo anthesis and fructification. Korean Cabbages have seed vernalization types and are roughly classified into; heading breed, semiheading breed and no heading breed according to their heading shapes. The place of origin of Korean Cabbages is the north of China. The period of the introduction of Korean Cabbages into Korea is not clearly known, however considering the fact that Korean Cabbages were recorded in “Emergency Remedies using Country-bred Herbage” published in Year 23 of Emperor Gojong, Goryeo(Korean Dynasty) (1236 A.D.), Korean Cabbages are presumed to have been cultured before this publication.
When Korean Cabbages are cultivated for 60˜80 days, they will have 40˜90 leaves and become fully marketable if conditions for growth are met. Korean Cabbages are the most widely used vegetables in Korea as a main ingredient of Kimchi in Korea. Korean Cabbages have very high water content and substantial amount of calcium and vitamin C, and are source of fibroid material. Korean Cabbages can be eaten all the year round but in winter when frost forms, their fibroid material will be softened and flavor of Korean Cabbages will be intensified so Korean Cabbages become tasty all the more. Korean Cabbages can be stored easily. In winter season Korean Cabbages can be preserved for two or three weeks by erecting them at a cool place after wrapping them with old newspapers. In summer, Korean Cabbages are stored in a refrigerator after wrapping with wrappers. Korean Cabbages are appropriate vegetables for various recipes such as pot stews, fries, parboiled dishes, simmered dishes, kimchi, etc.
Cultivation styles of Korean Cabbages can be mainly divided into springtime seeding cultivation, high altitude cool region cultivation, Thanks-giving day Korean Cabbages cultivation, kimchi-making Korean Cabbages cultivation, winterization Korean Cabbages cultivation, and house cultivation. After germination, when the temperature becomes below 12 of low temperature, bolting (stalking) is activated. If a floral axis is formed, raceme develops. The flower is yellow and there are four stamens around one pistil. Korean Cabbages can be crossed easily since it has a distinct self-incompatibility, which is used for gathering seeds of F1 hybrid. Korean Cabbages are sensitive to high temperature, so it is difficult to culture Korean Cabbages in the middle of the summer. When the temperature exceeds 21˜22, growth rate will be decreased and if heading starts at high temperature period, bacterial soft rot prevails, which is difficult to control.
Therefore researchers in the present invention have continued the research to develop new varieties of Korean Cabbages that may be used for rice wrapping vegetable, green vegetable juice and salad as well as kimchi, using such Korean Cabbages as breed breeding plants, and in consequence, the present invention was completed with the success of breeding Brassica campestris var. pekinensis Hongbaechoo by deriving interspecific hybrids between Korean Cabbages and Hongssamchoo and executing line acclimation test, self-incompatibility test and seed productivity test.